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La Voz Nueva
Holiday crafts for everyone
Don Bain
A new book is now available for anyone who wants to make their own projects in celebration of Dia de los Muertos. This text by Kerry Arquette, Andrea Zocchi and Jerry Vigil contains colorful, easy to follow instructions for creating over 24 projects including altars, candles, jewelry, masks, skeletons and more, with comprehensive photos, patterns and templates.
The book came about as a result of a project on death and dying upon which Vigil worked on with its producers. Through this he met the other principles behind the book, Arquette and Zocchi, curators of craft books. When they asked if he could contribute artwork to a book on the Day of the Dead, Vigil (pictured at right) readily agreed.
“It’s not easy for little kids but probably kids from middle school on up can take the instructions and adapt it to their own events,” Vigil said. “Some of the crafts are for kids – you can make simple skulls out of clay and decorate them. This just gives you the basics of how to do it – you can be creative from there.”
Some of the crafts have come a long way from the original Mexican traditions. “It’s kind of come off the centralized Day of the Dead theme and branched out which gives it more life because more people can participate and interpret the holiday. It’s not just clothed skeletons anymore, there’s an added element. That’s why there’s jewelry and other things in there – they give it more leg and take it out further.”
Now everyone can have their own Dia de los Muertos crafts and have a great time creating them. The book is appropriately titled Day of the Dead Crafts, from Wylie Publishing, Inc. and Cantata Books, and is available locally at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science or online from amazon.com. The listed price is $19.99, which makes it a bargain for any interested craft club. ˇFeliz el Dia de los Muertos!
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